NBA round-up: Boston Celtics beat Oklahoma City Thunder to secure top spot

The Boston Celtics secured the top seed place in the NBA with six games left to play, ensuring home court advantage for the play-offs.

The Celtics beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 135-100 on Wednesday, with Kristaps Porzingis scoring 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Their record this season, the best in the NBA, is 60 wins and 16 losses.

The Eastern Conference Atlantic side are seeking a record 18th title, with their most recent win coming in 2008.

Jayson Tatum also added 24 points and Jaylen Brown managed 23, pleasing the Celtics’ home fans after 13 days on the road.

For the Thunder, Josh Giddey scored a team-high 17 points, Luguentz Dort added 15 and Chet Holmgren finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

They struggled without their season’s top scorers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who were both missing through injury.

Elsewhere, the Toronto Raptors suffered their 15th straight defeat, losing 133-85 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Anthony Edwards starred with 28 points for the Timberwolves, supported by Naz Reid (23) while Rudy Gobert scored 11 points and 15 rebounds.

The result takes the Timberwolves narrowly to the top of the Western Conference table.

The Milwaukee Bucks lost 111-101 to the Memphis Grizzlies as their injury struggles continued, playing without Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton and Patrick Beverley.

Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped up in their absence, with the former scoring 25 points and 10 rebounds and the latter adding 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

But Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr shone with a game-high 35 points and GG Jackson scored 15 points with 12 rebounds.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Washington Wizards 125-120, taking the Lakers to ninth in the Western Conference which would ensure a play-in spot.

Anthony Davis scored 35 points and 18 rebounds while LeBron James added 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

The struggling Detroit Pistons were beaten 121-113 by the Atlanta Hawks, despite the Pistons’ Malachi Flynn scoring 50 points off the bench.

Flynn’s tally was one point shy of the NBA record for points off the bench in a game, but was in vain as Jalen Johnson’s 28 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists secured the Hawks’ victory.

The Orlando Magic beat the New Orleans Pelicans 117-108 with the Magic’s Paolo Banchero scoring 32 points and Franz Wagner adding 24.

The Brooklyn Nets secured a narrow 115-111 win over the Indiana Pacers with Noah Clowney adding 22 points off the bench, while Deandre Ayton scored 24 points and 16 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Charlotte Hornets 89-86.